Chicago O’Hare’s Vertical Garden

Two months ago, the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago opened a 928 square foot vertical garden in terminal three. The garden uses an aeroponic growing process and produces fresh basil, cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers among others.

O’Hare Airport’s Vertical Garden(Photo Courtesy of Kylee Baumle)

In addition to creating a pleasant atmosphere in the airport to enjoy while waiting for a plane, the vegetables grown in the garden are used in the airport’s restaurants. With next to zero transportation costs, the restaurants are able to offer the freshest possible vegetables to travelers.

But why stop there?

A fresh and wholesome foods program for airport employees could help increase healthful eating habits among airport workers who may not have adequate access to nutritious foods. Furthermore, a healthy eating program could be tied into employee health insurance policies, which would incentivize better eating habits, thereby improving overall general health.

Building a sustainable garden in the airport is an excellent way to improve the space in the airport, but this garden has the opportunity to innovate and improve the health and well-being of everyone at the airport.